India
-Krishna Kripa
The
BJP
and
its
allies
celebrated
their
victory
in
Delhi,
viewing
it
as
a
testament
to
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi’s
leadership.
In
contrast,
the
Congress
argued
that
the
election
was
more
about
AAP
leader
Arvind
Kejriwal
than
Modi’s
policies.
The
internal
discord
within
the
INDIA
bloc
surfaced,
with
Jammu
and
Kashmir
Chief
Minister
Omar
Abdullah
mocking
both
Congress
and
AAP
for
contesting
against
each
other.
image
INDIA
Bloc’s
Internal
Struggles
Shiv
Sena
UBT
and
NCP-SP
members
believed
that
BJP’s
win
could
have
been
avoided
if
Congress
and
AAP
had
joined
forces.
They
stressed
the
importance
of
learning
from
this
outcome.
Congress,
however,
defended
its
decision
to
contest
against
AAP,
pointing
out
that
AAP
had
previously
contested
in
states
like
Goa
and
Gujarat
without
considering
opposition
unity.
Congress
media
head
Pawan
Khera
criticised
those
lamenting
the
lack
of
opposition
unity.
He
described
the
Delhi
election
result
as
a
rejection
of
a
“Trojan
horse” that
threatened
liberal
values
nationwide.
Khera
stated,
“Majority
of
liberals
are
rightly
cheering
the
fall
of
the
facade
so
that
the
real
champion
of
liberal
values
–
the
Indian
National
Congress
–
can
emerge
stronger
to
take
the
BJP
on
and
defeat
it.”
Allegations
of
Election
Irregularities
Shiv
Sena
UBT
leader
Sanjay
Raut
accused
BJP
of
using
money,
targeting
rival
party
workers,
and
tampering
with
voter
lists
in
Delhi,
similar
to
tactics
allegedly
used
in
Maharashtra.
He
suggested
that
a
Congress-AAP
alliance
would
have
defeated
BJP
in
Delhi.
Raut
noted,
“It
would
have
been
better
had
the
ties
between
AAP
and
Congress
been
good.”
NCP
SP
legislator
Rohit
Pawar
remarked
that
ego
clashes
within
INDIA
bloc
parties
allowed
BJP’s
unexpected
victory.
Meanwhile,
most
top
leaders
of
INDIA
bloc
parties
remained
silent
on
the
Delhi
poll
results.
BJP’s
Strategic
Success
The
BJP
secured
48
seats
in
Delhi’s
70-member
Assembly,
while
AAP
managed
only
22
seats.
The
Congress
failed
to
win
any
seats
for
the
third
time
in
a
row.
Union
ministers
and
NDA
partners
praised
Modi’s
leadership
and
Home
Minister
Amit
Shah’s
strategies
for
this
success.
Bihar
Chief
Minister
Nitish
Kumar
congratulated
BJP
on
its
victory,
stating,
“The
people
of
Delhi
have
expressed
their
full
faith
in
the
able
leadership
of
respected
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
ji.” Andhra
Pradesh
Chief
Minister
N
Chandrababu
Naidu
echoed
similar
sentiments
about
Modi’s
leadership.
Reactions
from
Political
Leaders
Maharashtra
Deputy
Chief
Minister
Eknath
Shinde
claimed
that
voters
rejected
Congress’s
claims
about
constitutional
threats.
Union
Minister
Jayant
Chaudhary
said
BJP’s
victory
would
strengthen
NDA.
Defence
Minister
Rajnath
Singh
called
it
a
triumph
of
faith
in
Modi’s
leadership.
Agriculture
Minister
Shivraj
Singh
Chouhan
criticised
AAP’s
politics,
saying
farmers
were
tired
of
its
governance.
He
added
that
Central
government
policies
would
now
benefit
them.
Congress
Reflects
on
Defeat
Congress
President
Mallikarjun
Kharge
acknowledged
their
efforts
to
unseat
AAP
but
admitted
they
didn’t
receive
the
expected
mandate.
Rahul
Gandhi
thanked
party
workers
and
voters
while
pledging
to
continue
fighting
for
Delhi’s
progress
against
issues
like
pollution
and
corruption.
Jairam
Ramesh
noted
that
despite
not
winning
seats,
Congress
increased
its
vote
share
through
vigorous
campaigning.
He
expressed
optimism
about
Congress
forming
a
government
in
Delhi
by
2030.
Eknath
Shinde
credited
Modi’s
appeal
and
Shah’s
strategies
for
BJP’s
victory.
Anupriya
Patel
highlighted
voters’
preference
for
development,
clean
governance,
and
freedom
from
corruption
as
reasons
for
supporting
BJP.
